SENECA, S.C. – After opening the season last week with an all-around outstanding performance, Seneca High School star and Clemson commitment Braden Galloway looked to be headed for another strong game on Friday against Chapman.
Unfortunately for Galloway and the Bobcats, his night ended early due to injury.
Galloway missed most of the last three quarters after sustaining a right foot injury, and Seneca suffered as a result in its 56-14 loss.
Galloway will undergo X-rays on the foot on Saturday morning.
“Right now he’s on crutches. Possibility of a broken bone in his foot,” Seneca coach Hal Capps told The Clemson Insider after the game, which marked the second stop on our Tour of Champions. “Got X-rays tomorrow morning, and we’ll know something from that point on.
“Braden is an outstanding football player and a leader of our team, and some guys are going to have to step up and fill that role.”
Galloway’s injury occurred late in the first quarter on a long run when he was taken out of bounds on a tackle and his foot hit the track near the sideline.
Galloway stayed in the game for one more full drive before exiting early in the second quarter and sitting out for the remainder of the contest. He came out of the locker room after halftime on crutches.
“It’s just throbbing right now, but it’s actually worse than it was whenever I was out there playing,” said Galloway, who was gracious enough to talk to TCI after the game despite the injury. “I think just because I’ve been sitting down and iced it, it’s tightened up on me.
“It’s tough. I most definitely wanted to be out there tonight. It’s definitely bruised. It could possibly be broken, but other than that, I really won’t know anything until I get X-rayed.”
A week after catching a touchdown pass, throwing for 102 yards and a touchdown, and running for 107 yards and another score in Seneca’s 55-6 win over Berea, Galloway again flashed his dynamic ability when he was in the game.
Galloway completed 1 of 5 passes for 40 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 28 yards. His 28-yard run came a play before his touchdown pass, a beautifully placed deep ball down the sideline that accounted for one of Seneca’s two scores.
“To me, it was one of my best plays ever because it was a running play,” Galloway said. “We were supposed to run 46, and then I looked at Coleman — and I had overthrown him two plays before — and I asked him, do you want it, and he said yeah. So I said check 90, check 90. I knew he could beat him, so that’s what we went with. I knew coach was going to be mad if we didn’t execute it, but when I came over to the sideline, they said they wanted to check to it and they were glad that I did that.”
Galloway is the superiorly talented do-it-all leader of the Bobcats, who are hoping for good news on his injury.
“Our whole offense is revolved around him being able to do things, get the ball to certain people, especially the deep ball, and that sort of changes when we make quarterback changes,” Capps said. “But we have a lot of confidence in Cole Bay, the young sophomore that’s done a great job. He’s got a bunch of reps, and if Braden was to go down for a period of time, then Cole would step in.”
8/26, 11:25 a.m. update: Galloway said on social media that he suffered a Jones Fracture in his right foot and will miss four to six weeks after surgery.